iCloud: iOS vs. Mac, victory iOS.

     One of the features that I was really looking forward to in iOS 5 was iCloud.  Mainly because I've gotten quite used to using the iWork apps, Pages and Numbers, on my iPhone/iPad.  (Well, mostly Numbers really - but that's just because my interests tend towards me needing spreadsheets a lot more than page layout or word processing apps.).
     The file management for those programs though was a very weak link.  I eventually settled on a semi workable solution where I kept all of my iWork files on iDisk.  I'd download individual files of interest onto whatever device happened to be most convenient to use for viewing or editing.  Then when done I'd upload it back to iDisk if I'd made any changes.  It was a little clunky on the iOS devices but it worked seamlessly on my Mac, where a mirrored copy of my iDisk lived, and OS X did all the syncing transparently in the background.
     I was expecting that with the launch of iCloud, I'd simply get that same seamlessness extended to my iOS devices as well.  Once iOS 5 and iCloud and OS X 10.7.2 were all available and installed I eagerly migrated my MobileMe account across to iCloud.  I updated all available apps, grabbed my iPad and started up Numbers.
     Hmm, no mention of iCloud.  That's okay, I'll just grab a file from iDisk to start with and.....  Yep, it's syncing that file across to iCloud.  Cool.  Well, I don't want to do all my files one by one, I'll just jump on my Mac and move everything else across.  Errrr, there's no iCloud interface on the Mac!? Ok, a quick google and...  Oh, I have to upload my files through the iCloud website?  Well, that's a bit clunky but I can live with it for now.  After all, I only need to do this because I'm moving a bunch of existing files across.  Whenever I create an iWork document from now on it'll go straight to iCloud.  Right, let's start up Numbers and edit one of these new "iClouded" files.  Hmmm, how do I open my iCloud files from Numbers?  I guess I need to google that too, I thought it would've been more obvious.... You're kidding me.  I can't open them directly?  I need to manually download them via a web browser from the iCloud website, edit them, then upload them again?  Isn't that the SAME PROBLEM WITH iOS THAT iCLOUD WAS MEANT TO FIX?!??
     It was then that I realized that iCloud is a lovely integrated solution for syncing files across iOS devices, but its current Mac implementation is significantly worse than iDisk in MobileMe.  Apple have essentially taken a system that worked great on Mac and so-so on iOS, and made it work very well on iOS and terribly on Mac.  I'm more than a little underwhelmed.  It's such a glaring issue that I'm sure Apple must've aware of it.  I'm guessing there'll be an update to the Mac iWork apps very soon that addresses the problem.  But I'm going to be very grumpy about it until then.  With a workflow involving both iOS devices and a Mac, I think the old system worked better.

    On a side note, I saw that theres at least one game which is making use of iCloud to sync progress between devices.  Finally.  This seemed like a no brainier to me as soon as apple announced that iCloud was going to be open to 3rd party developers.  I hadn't seen anything in the press, or from any game companies, about planning to use iCloud in this way though, so I was starting to get nervous that it wasn't gong to be possible for some reason.

iPhone 4S not dual mode GSM/CDMA? [Update]

    Update:  Seems as though the hardware is dual mode, with two separate radios inside the phone.  The comment on the Apple site is purely due to carrier locking agreements, not a hardware limitation.


     Not that it really affects us much here in Australia, but it looks like none of the new iPhone 4S's are dual GSM/CDMA.  It's interesting that this is the case, as even after the Apple launch event people were expecting a single hardware version to be both GSM and CDMA capable.  There was lots of "world phone!" excitement from the press.  (Well, the US press....  I think everyone outside that country considers any GSM phone to be a "world phone".)
     How do I know that there's two separate versions?  Apple states it about as clearly as they can (without actually stating it) on their website for pre-ordering the 4S in the USA:

The unlocked iPhone works only on supported GSM networks, such as AT&T in the U.S. When you travel internationally, you can also use a micro-SIM card from a local GSM carrier. The unlocked iPhone 4 will not work with CDMA carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.

     The positive side of it is that all of us GSM only countries aren't helping to subsidise the cost of the CDMA hardware.  From a geeky point of view though, I was really looking forward to seeing how they'd managed to combine the two separate analog/digital transceivers into the one unit.  Oh well, it's possible I'm wrong - iFixit will have the definitive answer soon I'm sure.
     I'm wondering if volume/mute buttons are in the iPhone 4 GSM spot, or the iPhone 4 CDMA (Verizon) spot.  Given the antenna design of the phone seems to match with the "Verizon iPhone 4" then I'm guessing they'll be slightly moved from the existing Australian iPhone 4 location.  Which means that existing iPhone 4 cases mightn't quite fit.

Speck ToughSkin for iPhone 4 Review

     A few weeks ago when I received an email letting me know that the Speck ToughSkin for the iPhone 4 was finally available, I was very excited.  I loved the ToughSkin for my 3GS, when I initially heard there was going to be an iPhone 4 version...  Well, see here for some of my raving about it.  Needless to say I ordered one straight away.  I've been living with it on my phone for a couple of weeks now, but I'm not nearly as happy with the iPhone 4 version as I was with the 3GS one.

     The "case" actually consists of three parts.  First up is a hard thin plastic shell case that clips to the iPhone, providing protection by itself, but also having some ridges moulded into it to give the main silicone case some grip.  This snaps on very easily, adding minimal bulk to the phone - which is a good thing as it's actually held on so tightly it's very difficult to remove.

     Next up is a silicone case.  The iPhone pops in and out of it easily, but not too easily as with the OtterBox Defender I had.  The silicone fits snugly and looks quite well integrated with the phone as a whole.

     Finally there's a holster/stand into which you can mount the iPhone either screen in or out.  (No pictures of this.)  It seems to hold the phone relatively securely, but I'm not the kind of person who wears my phone in a holster so I've not actually tried it out.

     So there's some good and some bad with the new iPhone 4 ToughSkin.  (I can't help comparing it against the 3GS ToughSkin.)  The first case layer is really quite nice.  It's just a thin shell with good clearance cut outs around all the switches and cameras - it doesn't cover any of the buttons.  The ridges and bumps that are incorporated to give the outer silicone case some purchase also give your hand some.  I was always vaguely worried about the naked iPhone 4 slipping out of my hand.  At the same time, because it's a simple hard plastic case, it's still very easy to slip in and out of your pocket.  I leave my phone in this layer all the time now.  Though I must admit, this is partly because even though it's a bit of a struggle to get the iPhone into its "jogging" case with that layer on, it's easier than getting that first layer of ToughSkin off.
     Overall the system used on the 4 version is much better than the 3GS version, where the inner "case" was really just a flimsy frame with some lugs on it to hold the silicon.  This new first layer is all good.  Unfortunately, its not why I bought the case.  Even more unfortunately it's about all the "good" that there is left in the product.
     The outer silicone case is really what the ToughSkin is all about, the rest is just there to support the silicone.  Either physically, or just to round out the overall "do anything" package that the ToughSkin is meant to represent.  My biggest gripe with the case is that's it's significantly less grippy than the 3GS one was.  You could throw the 3GS ToughSkin down on almost anything, at any angle, and it would grip and cling there like a spider.  It was fantastic.  (It also made it a pig of a thing to put in your pocket, but I was happy to make that tradeoff.)
     The ToughSkin for iPhone 4?  Well, you can put it in your pocket much easier.  If you throw it down on something it's more likely to bounce off than stick and grip.  If you leave it on the dash of your car it'll slide roll and tumble.
     I'm not that clumsy Speck.  I don't really need all that extra rubber around the phone because I drop it every three steps.  I want it there so my phone is super grippy and will stay where I put it, regardless of how precarious a location I decide to leave it.  It doesn't do this, so the case fails at the primary purpose I bought it for.
     Adding further salt to the wound, the case isn't flat on the back.  Another positive of the 3GS ToughSkin was that it took a phone with a rounded back and made it flat.  This meant that you could type on it while the phone was sitting on a desk without it rocking around crazily.  The iPhone 4 lies flat without a case, but speck have made the back of the ToughSkin 4 with 3 flat panels.  It's not quite a curve, but it still has enough shape that the phone rocks and moves side to side if you're trying to type on it while on a desk.  Very annoying and anti-utilitarian.  Worse still the "Speck" branding is right in the middle of the case, and slightly raised, adding more to the rocking abilities of the case.  Letting your branding interfere with your product is a massive fail as far as I'm concerned - it just associates a negative experience with your brand.  I look at the way the way the silicone portion of the iPhone 4 ToughSkin case is designed and shake my head sometimes.
     So overall:  Fit and finish is great.  The inner hard case is really quite nice (something I wasn't counting on).  The multiple inner plastic to outer silicone attachment points really help the silicone case to fit well.  To my mind the styling isn't as aggressive as the 3GS version - it's more stealth fighter than rock crawler tyre.  Functionally it seems as though it'd be very protective in a drop situation, but far far more prone to sliding off something and falling than the 3GS version.

     I'm keeping it on my phone for now, but I'm still casting my eye around for an iPhone 4 case that captures all the good qualities of the iPhone 3GS ToughSkin.  It's just a shame that the iPhone 4 version isn't that product.

Phone Bottom - Plenty of room around dock connector.  3 sided back clearly evident.

Nice amount of room around headphone jack.  Noise cancelling mike may be a little obscured.

Tartini in Tune

I've been using various tuning apps on my iPhones for a couple of years now.  I think I've had around six or seven, and most of those I've paid for.  They've pretty much all worked, after a fashion, but I've never been all that happy with any of them.  They're usually finicky about the sound level.  They fall over if the tone they pick up is a long way from what you're trying to tune to.  They're just not that visually appealing.
When you start to play a note, the usual process goes something like this: No, can't hear anything.  No, still nothing.  Nope.  (Play louder)  Maybe.... Yes, you're very sharp.  Err no wait, I meant flat.  Play louder, can't hear you again.  Oh, that's perfect!  (When even with my tin ear I can tell the horrible sound I'm making is still clearly a million semitones from being in tune.)
In steps Tartini.  It's iPad (or computer) only at the minute, but what a revelation! It's easily the best quality tuner that I've used - both in terms of picking up a sound, and giving a stable predictable indication of what you're playing.  For that alone it'd be the pick of the crop.  But that's only skimming the surface of what this app will do.  Where it really blows everything else away is that it doesn't just attempt to replicate a hardware guitar or chromatic tuner.  It's like the people behind this have really thought about what you want from a tuner, without any preconceived ideas about what your typical hardware tuners are.
The app opens up, showing you a music staff. (Well, by default it shows a compressed view with around 10 octaves, but it's easy enough to change it back to a standard music staff.)  You play a note, it shows up as a line on the staff.  If it's a little flat or sharp, then the line isn't perfectly centered on the staff.  If you're nowhere near the note that you're trying to tune to, it's very obvious.  Simple, and obvious once you see it, but brilliant to make that jump from the traditional hardware tuners that you've probably used before to something which takes full advantage of the hardware available.
It doesn't just stop there either, as you play notes it will tag them on the staff - including sharps and flats.  Also included is a vibrato monitor, which gives you a visual indicator of whether your vibrato is centred around the note as well as smooth and consistent.
The icing on the cake is that it records all the visuals so you can scroll back through and analyze your performance if you're so inclined.
There's also PC/OSX/Linux versions of the software - see the University of Otago site. (I've not used these much at all, they're not as pretty and it's just far more convenient to use the highly portable iPad for this kind of stuff.)  If you're interested in delving into the details of the software there's source code and papers about it on the site as well.

And it's all free.

I can't complement it enough.  Go and get it, even if you're just a hack of a muso like me.  You'll love it.

Henge Dock Review

   When I use my laptop at home, I typically have it plugged into an exeternal keyboard, mouse, soundcard (yeah, thanks for that line in jack rather a microphone one Apple), monitor, webcam, speakers, mouse, iPhone sync cable, camera connection cable, printer/scanner.  You get the idea.  I'm really happy with the setup.  I can take my laptop with me when I go away, or use it on the couch when I want to.  But most of the time, it's just like having a desktop machine (which I think is more productive than a laptop).
     However, even with having most of the accessories running off a single usb hub, I still have a few things to connect/disconnect each time I "dock" my machine.  Power, monitor, usb hub, speakers.   This isn't that much hassle, but it was often enough to deter me from taking my laptop out of the study and using it on the couch.  Also, a tangle of cables coming off the side of your computer is never pretty.
     So, since Apple doesn't make a docking station, (I do like something about the Dell my employer supplies!) I wound up getting myself a Henge Dock.
     Firstly let me say, after having had it for a few weeks now, it works great!  I love being able to yank the machine out of its dock and take it to the lounge room at the drop of a hat.  When it comes time to return it to the study I just drop it into the dock and everything is connected, quick and simple.  It just works, and I like it.  The dock seems very well made, nice tight tolerances on all the mouldings, no visible mould lines, a rubberised strip on the base to keep it steady and stop any vibrations.  However, there's a few small things about the product that could be improved.
     Firstly, lets talk aesthetics.  To my eyes it just doesn't look quite right.  This is probably exacerbated in my case because I have a white macbook.  The white of the henge dock is a different white to the macbook.  I'm no colour expert, but I'd say the dock is a little more grey than the macbook.  As in, it's a smudge darker and also a different colour tone.  It also doesn't seem to have the same level of gloss, or that tiny hint of translucency that the macbook does.  It's only a small thing, but enough that it doesn't look like part of the same product.

     It's branded, and I dislike obvious branding.  Written across the front of the dock in some godawful font is "HENGE DOCKS".  It's very jarring, so much so that I'm considering masking and painting over it.  On the side they've also put the henge dock symbol.  I can understand that they want to get their branding out there, but I think the way this product is labelled would be hurting them more than helping.

     As for usage, I've only got one minor gripe - you need two hands to undock it.  One to hold the dock down, and the other to remove the laptop.  I'm sure I could tape/screw/glue/clamp the dock down to alleviate this, but it's not ideal.  How about having some sort of internal lever system which pops the laptop up off its connecting plugs, allowing you to then just pick the laptop up?  This would allow you to do the undocking operation one handed.   It sounds like a small thing, but if you've got a coffee/iPhone/child in one hand, then a one-handed undock would be brilliant.
     Initial setup of the dock was a massive hassle.  In theory it shouldn't be too bad, thread all the supplied extension cables that you want to use through the dock and plug them into your laptop.  Put the laptop in the dock.  Screw in the locking nuts to stop the cables from moving.  However getting all of the plugs aligned correctly was harder than it should've been.  This was in part complicated by the magsafe connector.  Having the magnet snap the power connector into the laptop while I was trying to line up all the cables gave me a great deal of grief.  Still, it only took about half an hour to set it up, which isn't so bad.  Until you want to take the power supply away with you.  Then its a hassle to set it all up again.
     This is partly due to the "universal" nature of the henge dock - it comes with three little plastic sleeves for the magsafe connector, one for each type that Apple has made.  So you wind up wrestling with the magnetised connector which wants to snap to the laptop whenever the two are close together, the little plastic shim which needs to stay in between the dock and the connector, all of the other cables that are in the dock, the dock itself, and the laptop.  I would've needed about 6 hands to set things up easily.  However, once it's been set up it works well.  I think I'd rather buy a second power supply than have to go through that again though.
     Apple probably has patents preventing this, but I'd love it if the dock came with a power extension cable (it comes with ones for the audio/usb/firewire/network ports, cudo Henge Docks) so you only need to do that cable setup once.  Then if you're going away and want to take the power supply, you'd just pop the connector off the henge dock, the same way you'd pop it off your laptop.
     For all that I've just spent a few paragraphs griping about the thing, I do like it.  There's nothing else like it on the market for Apple laptops, and it does its job very well.  I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for a docking station for their MacBook.  I just think that with a few tweaks it could be a brilliant product, and it's a shame not to see it live up to its full potential.